Bottle brush



Dec. 27, 1949 H. G. VOLCKENING BOTTLE BRUSH Filed March 9, 1945 INVEN 7 Bpf yl Patented Dec. 27, 1%?49 warren stares earesroerrce Henry G. Volckening,

Volcltening Inc., of New York Brooklyn, N. Y., assignor to Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation Application March 9, 1945, Serial N0.-581,787

7 Claims. i This invention relates to bottle brushes. A principal object of this invention is to provide a means for attaching a brush stem of a bot- -tle brush to a hollow spindle operative to rotate the brush and also supply a cleaning fluid to the brush and interior of a bottle being cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specified of such nature that the brush stem will be prevented from escaping from operative connection with the spindle supplying fluid and causing rotation of the brush stem and will be entirely free from anything which would have a tendency to scratch the inside of a bottle being cleaned.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the type specified of such a nature that a brush stem held thereby will be prevented from escaping from operative rotated position in either direction.

In describing the invention in detail, and the particular physical embodiment selected to illustrate the invention, reference will be had to the accompanying drawing and the several views thereon in which like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is an elevational and part sectional view of a device of my invention including a bottle brush and rotating spindle;

Fig. 2 is a cross sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. 1 0n the plane indicated by the line II-II viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the device as shown by Fig. l on the plane indicated by the line III-III viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on a plane at a right angle to that upon which Fig. 3 is taken;

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional View of the device as shown by Fig. l on the plane indicated by the line V-V viewed in the direction of the arrows at the ends of the line;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary View, partly in elevation and partly in section, showing my device in connection with a bottle; and

Fig. '7 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but illustrating a ferrule solely of my invention.

In Fig. 1, numeral 5 designates a stem. This stem is for the purpose of supporting laterally extending bristles 2, and, if desired, longitudinally extending bristles 3. This stem is illustrated as of conventional form but may be of various forms. I have illustrated a stem formed by bend 2 ing a cylindrical wire at its midpoint'and twisting the free ends together while the bristles,'as 2, are positioned so as to be retained between the several convolutions when tightly brought together.

The stem i, no matter what its form may be, is provided with an enlargement, generally in the form of a hollow eye i. In the form shown the hollow eye is greater in diameter in one plane than twice the diameter of the wire from which it is made.

The stem i with the bristles 2 and 3, in practice. be inserted within a bottle as 5 and be rotated therein at high speed. The usual speed is up to 1760 revolutions per minute. The revolution of the brush is obtained by means of a mandrel or spindle 5 which is hollow thereby serving to conduct fluid. This fluid must reach the interior of the bottle being cleansed.

In order to attach the stem i and also allow fluid from the spindle ii to reach the bristles 2 and the interior of the bottle 5, I provide a ferrule "i. The ferrule 'i serves as a connection between the spindle E and the brush stem I. This ferrule as first constructed appears as shown in Fig. 7. It is substantially in the form of a hollow cylinder.

The ferrule i is conveniently constructed by first passing a drill through the entire length of a metal cylinder, preferably brass. This drill should have a diameter equal to the diameter of the portion 8 and the drill should be preferably provided with a counterbore of a diameter equal to the diameter of the portion If such a device is passed through a suitable size of round metal, being entered from the end iii, a cavity will be formed in which the screw-thread i! may then be formed. This screw-thread ii serves as a means for attaching the ferrule to the spindle 6. The body from which the ferrule is being constructed would then be suitably held and a tool such as an inside turning tool would be passed into the cavity in whichthe threads l i are formed and through restricted portion 5, and material could be turned out so as to form an intermediate cavity E2 of greater diameter than the restricted space 8. This cavity would extend from the line E3 to the line I i.

After the intermediate cavity i2 is formed a drill or other suitable tool would be entered in the end it of the ferrule forming a cavity 16.

In forming the cavity i2 a circular shoulder I! would be formed, and in forming the cavity ill a circular shoulder it would be formed. At the same time that the cavity it is formed or thereafter the outer surface of the ferrule 1 would be tapered as at 2I.

After the completion of the hereinbefore described operations, a broach would be inserted in the end I and the two portions I9 and 20 of the shoulder I8 would. be removed.

The ferrule as thus constructed is now suitable for receiving the stem I. The stem I is pushed into the ferrule from the end I5 and the enlargement or eye 4 is positioned in such plane that it will pass through the broached-out portions I9 and 20 and the extreme end will be limited by the shoulder I'I. While in such position the thinned tapered portion 2| is then spun inwardly or crushed in by any suitable means, as by a die, to such an extent that the enlargement or eye 4 cannot then be drawn out of the end I5. The spinning-in or crushing-down of the thinned portion 2I is not carried to such an extent that the inside surface of the ferrule bears directly upon the stem I. There is left a slight clearance. This clearance is suflicient to allow the brush to wabble back and forth on an imaginary pivot point somewhere near the center of the eye 4. This wabbling may take place in any plane because the broached-out portions I9 and 20 are made of such size that a wabbling movement may be given to the brush back and forth between the plane faces of the broached-out portion.

The ferrule and brush as thus assembled, are then screwed upon the mandrel 6.

The bottle 5 to be cleaned is positioned, generally with its mouth downwardly and then the brush carried by the spindle 6 is inserted into the mouth of the bottle while rotating and while fluid is passing through the spindle 6 and around the enlargement 4 of the stem and also around the stem I and out through the mouth of the ferrule at the end I5 into the bottle.

By the construction just described, it will be seen that when the stem is positioned within the ferrule I the end of the stem I bears against the annular shoulder II. By thus bearing against the annular shoulder I1 the eye 4 of the stem I is held in such position that the wire of the stem rests in the cut-away portions I9 and 20 of the annular shoulder I8 so that the stem I is held in such position that a rotation of ferrule I must necessarily rotate the brush stem I. The brush stem I being held from movement in one direction by the annular shoulder I1 and from movement in the other direction by the spun-in end I5 of the ferrule I.

Heretofore ferrules somewhat similar to my ferrule have been used to attach a brush stem to a spindle, as 6, but these ferrules have been used in conjunction with a pin passing through the ferrule and through the eye 4 of the brush and riveted flush on the outside surface of the ferrule. This construction is in many ways undesirable, chiefly because the ferrules are not always so headed as to be perfectly flush with the surface of the ferrule l or just below that surface. As a consequence, the ends of the pins, which are generally made of steel, contact the mouth of a bottle used for packaging certain materials, such as carbonated beverages. These goods when packaged may exert a fairly considerable pressure on the inside of the bottle and if there is a scratch thereon, and the bottle is lightly struck on the outside it is extremely likely that the bottle will burst with consequent damage to those standing by. My construction of ferrule is such that it presents an entirely smooth, unbroken outside surface and so is free from the danger of scratching the inside of a bottle being cleaned.

By my method of holding the stern of a brush in a ferrule, I also obviate the possibility of a rivet breaking and allowing the brush to be freed entirely from the ferrule. Even in that type of ferrule in which the brush is held by a rivet but which is so formed that the brush cannot get out of the ferrule even after the rivet is broken there is danger that the rivet when broken will scratch the bottle, but my construction avoids such danger.

Although I have particularly described one particular physical embodiment of invention and explained the construction and principle thereof, nevertheless, I desire to have it understood that the form selected is merely illustrative, but does not exhaust the possible physical embodiments of the idea of means underlying my invention.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A ferrule for connecting the stem of a bottle cleaning brush to a hollow spindle, in com bination: an elongated substantially cylindrical body of metal having a threaded cavity formed in one end terminating in a wall formed with a through bore of less diameter than the diameter of the cavity; said body further formed with an intermediate cavity of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore through the said wall and bounded at one end by the said wall and at the other end by another wall having a through bore of a diameter less than the diameter of the intermediate cavity, said body further formed with another cavity opening in the opposite end of the body and of a diameter greater than the diameter of the bore through the last mentioned wall, said last mentioned wall being cut away at two diametrically opposite points and adapted to receive the enlarged end of the stem of a bottle brush formed of a Wire bent upon its midpoint with its free ends twisted together whereby a rotation of the ferrule will cause a rotation of the brush, said body being tapered at its last mentioned end whereby the thickness of the wall at such point is decreased whereby it may be more easily crushed inwardly to prevent withdrawal of the brush stem after being inserted therein, and a portion of said tapered portion crushed inwardly to prevent withdrawal of the brush stem.

2. A ferrule for connecting a bottle brush to a hollow rotating spindle, in combination: a metallic body of substantially circular exterior outline formed with a hollowed-out interior providing two annular shoulders with a space therebetween, the shoulder nearer the end of the body being formed with diametrically opposite cut-out portions providing spaces for the reception of the large end of a bottle brush formed by bending a wire intermediate its ends and twisting the free ends together, said body further provided with thinned walls at its end whereby they may the more easily be crushed inwardly retain ing the enlarged end of the stem of the brush within the body and means for attaching the body to the spindle and for allowing fluid from the said spindle to flow through the body and to and around the brush stem.

3. A ferrule for attaching a bottle brush to a hollow rotating spindle, in combination: a substantially elongated body circular in exterior outline having means at one end for attaching to a hollow spindle and having integral means at the other end for holding and retaining the stem of a bottle brush formed of Wire bent at its midsection with its free ends twisted together, while allowing the flow of water there about, said means including a wall of the body forced inwardly and a shoulder inside the body intermediate its length.

4. A ferrule for attaching a bottle brush to a hollow spindle comprising a somewhat elongated body of substantially circular exterior outline formed with cavities therein and with pierced separated annular walls forming shoulders, one of said walls being cut away at diametrically opposite points to furnish space for reception of the enlarged end of a bottle cleaning brush formed by bending wire at its midpoint and twisting the fre ends together and meansintegral with the body for retaining the enlarged end of the brush within the body.

5. A retainer for a bottle brush formed by bending a wire at its midpoint and twisting the free ends together and having an eye formed at the midpoint greater in diameter in one plane than twice the diameter of the wire which comprises a body formed with a through bore with means for attachment to a spindl and integral means to receive and retain the eye of a bottle brush therein and allow fluid to flow from the spindle to and through the body and to and around the stem of the bottle brush while allowing the stem to wabble, said means including a wall of the body forced inwardly and an internal shoulder intermediate its length.

6. A ferrule for attaching a bottle brush to a hollow rotating spindle, in combination: a substantially elongated body circular in exterior outline having means at one end for attaching to a hollow spindle and having integral means at the other end for holding and retaining the stem of a bottle brush formed of wire bent at its midsection with its free ends twisted together. said means including a wall of the body forced inwardly for preventing movement of the stem in one direction and an internal annular shoulder for preventing movement of the stem in an opposite direction.

7. A ferrule for attaching a bottle brush to a hollow rotating spindle, in combination: a substantially elongated body circular in exterior outline having means at one end for attaching to a hollow spindle and having integral means at the other end for holding and retaining the stem of a bottle brush formed of wire bent at its midsection with its free ends twisted together, said means including a wall of the body forced inwardly for preventing movement of the stem in one direction and an internal annular shoulder for preventing movement of the stem in an opposite direction, and means including an annular shoulder within the elongated body having diametrically opposit cut-away portions for engaging the stem of a bottle brush for causing it to rotate with the body.

HENRY G. VOLCKENING.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 630,609 Kaeifer "Aug. 8, 1899 818,086 Gohrband "Apr. 17, 1906 872,595 Warshilsky Dec. 3, 1907 1,317,303 McDonnell Sept. ,30, 1919 1,536,302 Meyer et a1. May 5, 1925 1,684,631 Lapinoja Sept. 18, 1928 1,882,576 Hannaford ..Oct. 11, 1932 2,339,123 Volckening -Jan. 11, 1944 

